Island Nights by Compass54
by Bad Boys of Twilight
Summary: "Come in and sit down, Eddy. You know I don't want the money." His eyes lingered on my jeans and I shivered. "Just an hour with your girlfriend and we'll call it square."


**Title of Story: Island Nights**

**Rating: M**

**Pairing: Edward and Bella**

**Genre: Crime/Romance**

**Word Count: 11,991 (wordcounttool dot com)**

**Story Summary: "Come in and sit down, Eddy. You know I don't want the money." His eyes lingered on my jeans and I shivered. "Just an hour with your girlfriend and we'll call it square."**

**Standard Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

I knew Edward was jumpy. He recognized a man across the street, a slow shake of his head answering some unspoken question. I heard the "fuck" from under his breath, and after that, he was completely different. He watched his back as if there was someone following us. His grasp of my hand was tighter; his steps a little faster, the easygoing feeling of enjoying a day of freedom was gone.

He steered me into a hotel with a busy bistro area overlooking the water, telling me with a forced smile that the food was always good here, finding us a table smack in the middle. I had this horrible feeling that we were using a public place to protect us and it didn't take long to find out that I was right.

An extra chair appeared and the same man sat down with us. He smelled like aniseed and sweat. "Who do we have here?"

Edward scanned the room, bristling, and replied, "I'm not working. Get the fuck out. Another time."

"You're always working," he said, running his eyes over me. "And I'm definitely interested in this one."

I sucked in a breath and my heart started pounding. I looked sideways at Edward, seeing an ominous vein pulsing in his neck. He covered the back of my chair with his arm, leaning forward slowly in a threatening manner and without a hint of emotion, he said, "This one's not for sale." He didn't move. He waited on the reaction from a man more than twice his age.

The man sat back, playing with a heavy gold chain around his wrist, and I saw the shiny skin of his head through a thin comb over. With a smirk, he looked up. "Everyone's for sale, Eddy." He chuckled softly and looked around the restaurant. "I think you two had better come with me before things get ugly in front of all these families. I'm only after my compensation for the last unfortunate incident if you remember."

Edward's eyes narrowed and he looked at the man with contempt. I could feel the vibrations of his legs nervously rattling under the table while he decided what to do. After a few seconds, he answered, "Look, I have it. Just leave her out of it."

"You want to leave her here?" he said standing. He put both hands on the table and rocked forward, leering at me. "Who knows what could happen?" Then he bent down and spoke to Edward. "Better come to the Marlin Room. It's nice and private." He smiled at me and turned away, sliding the chair back.

Once he was gone, I let out the breath I'd been holding. Edward looked so pained that I touched his cheek, hoping to comfort him. He grabbed my wrist.

"Don't! You say nothing, do nothing until we get out of here, okay?"

The slap of his sharp words crashed into me and I flinched. This was serious. He'd drawn me into his world, the very thing he'd been avoiding, and now people were looking up from their plates.

I responded, trying to hide my growing panic from him. "Sure. Say nothing, do nothing. Gotcha."

"I mean it Bella, no matter what happens, don't react. Just keep cool and let me handle it."

"Ill try."

He looked at me deeply for a second, and then made his decision. "Okay, let's get this over with," he said, standing and holding his hand out.

A huge guard held the door open for us to enter. The licorice sweat stench clung to the air and the man looked out the window, surveying the boats at the marina. The light refracting from the ripples on the water seemed to enhance his features and I noticed his ear. It was mostly missing.

"Come in and sit down, Eddy. You know I don't want the money." His eyes lingered on my jeans and I shivered. "Just an hour with your girlfriend and we'll call it square."

My hand automatically jerked as the need to escape rattled me. The guard was blocking the exit and Edward shot his eyes sideways briefly, showing nothing but I could feel the tension in his hand squeezing mine.

"She's not into that game. She's just a friend of mine and you won't lay a finger on her as long as I'm alive."

"Which finger?" he asked as he tilted my jaw up. "This one?"

Edward took a step forward and shoved him backwards, ripping my hand out of his grasp. He held the man's shirt and yanked him back, holding him eyeball to eyeball. The guard moved up but the man put his hands up to calm everyone down. Edward pushed him away and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Don't fucking touch her again."

The man shrugged his clothes back into position, calmly nodding to the guard and said, "I think you need to learn some respect, Eddy."

The guard hooked his hand around my neck, forcing my back onto his chest. His fingers gripped my throat and I tried to hold on to the words Edward had said. "Don't react. Just keep cool."

"You need to earn _my_ respect," Edward said calmly. The man raised his eyebrows slightly and that tiny mannerism struck a bolt fear into my heart. My knees gave out slightly.

Edward's eyes darted between the two men as a second or two passed and then he accelerated. He drew a small pistol from his pocket and jammed it onto the forehead of the man, holding the back of his neck, glaring at the guard who hesitated, not sure what to do, gauging the timing of his action against the speed of a bullet through the head of his employer.

Then Edward did something unexpected. He pulled the trigger. A bullet didn't fire but it may as well have. Their eyes. I'll never forget the shock in their eyes when he did it. Edward's were playful but full of promise.

"It's your lucky day," he deadpanned.

"You fucker," the man scowled and fell back, obviously shaken to the core.

Edward took a step toward the guard, glanced at his gun and said, "Still two left, how's _your_ luck?"

The guard dropped his hold on me, letting Edward pull me behind him, keeping the gun pointed at them as we backed away.

"I told you not to lay a finger on her. It's your own fucking fault."

The man was breathing hard, his rage barely contained, his eyes black and piercing with hatred for Edward. "You'll pay for this."

"As long as she's safe I don't give a shit." Edward threw a wad of money on a table and seethed, "We no longer do business. _Now_ we're square."

"You're gone, Eddy." He shook his head slowly, disgusted by the boy who showed no respect, who flaunted his rules. "You can forget about doing any kind of business in this town."

"Fuck you," Edward retaliated, wanting the last word, screwing his face up viciously and raising his middle finger.

As soon as we were out the door, he had to hold me up because my legs were useless. God only knows what expression I had on my face through the restaurant but I kept it together somehow until we were out in the air. Hyperventilating, I let him help me to the car and we sped off with me crying, begging him to tell me the gun had no bullets, that they were playing a game.

He never answered. He looked at me a couple of times as we drove south, eventually turning the radio on to drown out the overwhelming silence.

-I~N-

Three months earlier, I'd just graduated from college and was starting this adventure. My best friend Rosalie and I took off to work on a resort for six months, saving as much as we could for our long-planned trip to Europe. We tried to get as far away from home as we could and that's exactly where we ended up - about as far south as you can get from the state of Washington.

It was hot, humid and very tropical looking, a resort not far off the coast with a stunning golf course and about a hundred rooms, some just set back from palm fringed beaches, others hidden and secluded in well tended gardens. There were two story blocks of double rooms, big expensive suites and a handful of thatched bungalows.

No matter what their budget, it was our job to make the guests believe they had landed in paradise and I was usually the first person they saw when I greeted them at our tiny airport.

Rosalie was waiting tables and I had scored a job in the office. There were usually two of us staffing the reception counter and we worked our asses off during checkouts and arrivals, the hours each side of the arrival of the planes at 12:30 and 3:30. The rest of the day, we kept a smile on our faces and cruised, mainly giving directions.

Until now we both had to start at 7:30 AM but a new employee, Emily, had arrived so the supervisor bumped me to the 11:00 AM split shift, starting right before morning checkout, meaning my probationary period was over and I was getting an upgrade.

The 'office bitches', a small group of us, were deemed important enough to occupy the better staff accommodations, sharing a bathroom between two rooms. We didn't have to wait for one of the old timers to leave either.

The 'house mouses', gardeners, restaurant and bar staff all had to start in what was lovingly known as 'Slink', two rows of shoddy transportable rooms joined together by a massive timber deck strewn with an assortment of odd discarded items acting as furniture.

The whole structure was covered so it didn't leak but it definitely absorbed mold. The smell soaked into everything and no matter how many times you washed your stuff, it refused to leave you, probably because the clothes lines were strung up over the deck between the rooms.

Most people would do anything to get out of there. It inevitably involved sex, jumping into somebody's bed up the hill. I guess the quick coupling helped people settle down to life isolated away from the rest of the world.

I was moving my meager possessions out before I started my shift, wanting to settle in before I went back in the evening. The thing I had been avoiding was now going to be right in front of my face – literally - the caravan - parked between Slink and our new accommodations up the hill.

Its two permanent occupants, the head barman, Emmett, and the staff barman, Edward, dominated the hierarchy in this place and were intimidating as hell. Edward, especially, made me feel very uneasy.

Rosalie had quickly started sleeping with Emmett and she had just received an invitation to move into the caravan on a more permanent basis than just overnight, most nights.

She was both very brave and very reckless. The caravan was the coolest place on the island, as well as the scariest.

Slink's communal female bathroom with its lack of privacy was the first place I noticed Edward watching me, smoking a joint, sitting as brazen as can be on a car bench seat, right outside the entry. He got up as a towel clad girl walked out and they left together. I was still watching him when he turned and winked at me after handing her the smoke.

The word was that Edward could get you anything you wanted. He regularly left the island and returned with supplies, mainly illicit drugs, available for sale to both staff and the guests.

He took orders for life's necessities and it meant you didn't have to leave the island and pay for a night in a hotel, so he provided an essential service.

No one asked where he went but he always caught an early boat and didn't return until late.

He did most of his business here late on Friday nights when management allowed us to join the guests in the main bar, as long as we were dressed appropriately and represented the resort professionally.

There were rumors about female employees making extra money keeping male guests company on 'Island Night' as the staff referred to it and that Edward supplied them with whatever they wanted to _enhance_ the experience.

Until now, my shift never coincided with the two boys in the caravan since I started early and they were up late, often blasting music all day and half the night. They never closed the outer door; it was always latched open, a thin screened door the only thing keeping out the bloodsucking mosquitoes and horse flies.

I hardly ever saw Emmett but this later shift meant I would probably see if they surfaced prior to starting work before lunch.

I was moving my suitcase and my bedding when I spotted Edward, stretching in the caravan's doorway. He'd draped what looked like a sarong around his hips, so dangerously low slung I couldn't drag my eyes away, expecting it to fall off him any second. He waved to me with one hand while his other one reached down the front to scratch himself.

"Hey, which room are _you_ in?" Too nervous to respond, I pointed to the number six on the door. Rubbing his hand over what looked like very toned abs, he called out, "Six? It must be my lucky day. Grab Tanya and come over for a drink later."

Tanya was English and she occupied the other half of our two-bedroom-one-bathroom arrangement. She had been waiting tables for four months already and she was friendly with Rosalie since she first started. She knew how to play the game, getting out of Slink quickly by hooking up with one of the gardeners who was leaving. I was looking forward to hearing her tips on long-term survival here since most people barely lasted three months before moving on.

When I opened the door, I turned back to see if he was still watching me. My eyes were drawn back to his groin and I know I turned crimson when he caught me, laughed and moved out of sight.

As soon and I dragged my stuff in through the door, I quickly shut it because this was the last type of interaction I needed to have with him. He was obviously out for whatever he could get sexually because I had seen him with various women over the last two weeks and heard lots more talk about him.

All I wanted was to lay low, work and save my money. Getting to London, Paris and Rome was my focus. I was wary of my reaction to him, dangerously irresistible with his vibrant cheeky green eyes and a mop of uncontrollable tawny hair. His body was what I'm sure every girl has in her head when she has dirty thoughts and I'd started having them since the episode when he was outside the bathroom watching me.

I wondered what this new close proximity would do to my libido, watching a constant stream of women pass through that screen door into the lair of the caravan and fantasizing about what they were doing in there.

Huffing out a breath, I told myself for the twentieth time that guys like Edward can't exist in my world and I vowed never to tell another soul how much he affected me.

I checked out my new surroundings and realized how bare the room looked without anything personal. The ceiling fan worked and the bathroom was reasonable but I'd have to find a way to delicately broach the subject of the dreaded mold that clung around the tiles. I didn't care if I scored that job permanently as long as the black stuff disappeared.

Tanya was at work and I turned the door handle on her side of the bathroom, thinking it wouldn't hurt to have a snoop into what she had done with her room, but it was locked.

It was already time to go to work, so I applied some make up, put on my uniform and walked down the hill to the office, giving the caravan a sideways glance as the smell of dope wafted out and Van Morrison accompanied the sound of quiet female laughter.

Back at lunch a couple of hours later, Edward was in place, looking crisp and fresh in his bartender's uniform, already serving alcohol to his regulars who always parked on the only three stools. As I passed them, the pungent smell of rum from their drinks and the pores of their skin almost killed my hunger.

From what Rosalie had told me about the state of the inside of the caravan, the staff bar showed its inhabitant had two sides. He kept it immaculate, constantly polishing glasses, applying fresh bar runner towels, lining up bottles behind him perfectly and he was always friendly, well that's the impression I got. I never ordered anything. I only partook of the free stuff: milk, tea with fresh lemon, sometimes coffee and lots of water. I figured it wouldn't hurt my waistline to stay off the booze and soda for as long as it took.

The buffet at lunch was always incredible. Cold cuts, salads and fruit were fresh and abundant but because everything was free, it meant we couldn't linger. I usually just ate, ran back to my room to check my eyeliner hadn't melted and then headed straight back to work. The barmen and the restaurant staff, on the other hand, had the afternoon off. A group of them usually spent a couple of hours working on their tans at the beach.

Since I had the next day off, Rosalie had asked me to join them. It would be the first time I had ever spent any time with her "in" crowd and frankly my lily white body was making me nervous about showing it in public.

After my obligatory hour back in the office after dinner, I stayed in, made my bed and scrubbed the bathroom without speaking to Tanya about it first. I was due for a hair treatment and a wax, and there was no way I was getting into that shower as it was.

Standing back and admiring the gleaming white surfaces, I felt very organized and proud.

Just after nine, I heard the first sounds of the nighttime workers returning, chit chatting about their evening and their plans for the rest of it. The sound of televisions began to fill the previous quiet.

Living up here was so different. Slink had a constant stream of people moving between rooms, calling out to each other, but here it was more sedate, at least while the caravan was in darkness.

I had been trying to read but a craving for something cold and sugary was gnawing at me. One wouldn't break the bank – just one icy Coke with bubbles that went up your nose. Hmm. I gave in and slipped my feet into my flip-flops. Then I looked down at what I was wearing. I didn't want to have to get fully dressed for something that would only take me a minute, so I pulled my robe from its hanger, wrapped it over and tied a tight bow. I checked myself in the bathroom mirror - nice and demure, nothing showing at all.

Everyone walked around here scantily clad in pajamas and bikinis so I don't know what I was worried about really. It was just that I had to go to the staff bar to get the Coke. I locked my door and put my long chain with its keys around my neck, jingling my coins in my hand as I crossed the service road and down the short path to the bar.

The smell of fresh toast was strong. The jukebox was playing and a couple was cuddling as they scanned the selection. Edward was polishing wine glasses, sliding them upside down into a rack over the bar when he looked down and his eyes widened.

"Can I have a Coke please?"

He cupped his ear before leaning forward over the bar so far that his cheek nearly touched mine. I jumped back slightly and said, "Coke… in a big glass, no ice?"

Still leaning forward, he looked right into my eyes and smirked. "I knew you'd come to me eventually. I didn't think you'd come ready for bed."

I swallowed and lifted my chin. "I'm not staying."

"Oh come on. Five minutes. It's quiet tonight. I'll get you something to sit on." He was already bringing the stool from the other side of the bar for me. "Have a seat."

He stood back, raised his eyebrows and waited. I sat down and he smiled, returned to his side and filled a huge glass with Coke from a gun, squeezing the trigger a few extra times to fill it right to the top and placed it on the bar in front of me.

There was no way I could pick it up without spilling it everywhere. I pulled my hair back, leaned forward and slurped at the rim of the glass. When I looked up, he was studying me, his eyes wandering from my lips to my eyes.

With a sudden glint in his eye, he said, "You said you wanted it big."

I took my chain off, placing it down on the bar, and he picked it up, fiddling with the keys like he was going to take them. Then he leaned back near the register and watched me struggling, smirking at me before he offered me a straw. Once I took a deep pull on the icy Coke, I closed my eyes and savored the feeling of the sweetness and the bite as it raced down my throat, the cold radiating out over my chest.

"Why don't you ever come to the bar?" he asked, his eyebrows drawn in question as he lowered the chain down in front of me and picked up another glass. "Are you scared of me?"

I took another sip before I deflected that one. "I don't want to spend any money."

One of his eyebrows popped up as he nodded. "How much do you need to save?"

"About ten grand and I don't know how I'm going to last. Everyone here has creature comforts like televisions and stereos. I didn't think about that."

He pondered my answer for a moment, slowly sliding another glass into the rack. "What are you saving for?"

"Europe. Rosalie and I are going to Britain, France and Italy."

"_Ee-so-la-bella_," he sounded, his tongue wrapping around the syllables as he leaned back.

"What did you call me?"

He pushed off and took a step forward, leaning on his forearms, his face too close again. "Italy is amazing. I have family who live on Lake Maggiore in the north, near Milano. Isola Bella was one of the regular ferry stops and I always wanted to get off and see it. We never did."

I pictured it and quietly daydreamed, replaying the way he pronounced the names. "I want to go to places like that when I leave here."

He nodded, looking nostalgic and continued polishing the glass slowly. "Me too, the last time we went I was twelve."

A small group was waiting to order and one of them cleared his throat. Edward sighed and left me to attend to them so I stood to go back, feeling awkward on my own. "You're coming over for a drink later, right?" he called as he poured their beers.

"I don't know, maybe." I grabbed my chain, left the coins on the bar and walked out. I didn't look back. I needed to think about whether it was a good idea.

I sat on my bed, unsure why I felt he was both threatening and welcoming. He assumed an intimacy with you when he didn't know you and it was thrilling and off-putting at the same time.

I heard Tanya come home and use the bathroom. There was a knock on my bathroom door and when I opened it, she stood there looking amazed.

"I guess you've gathered I'm not great at cleaning."

"It's okay. I can't stand the mold."

"Then welcome! I'll find some way to pay you back. We'll trade." She looked around my room and said, "First thing you need is some art. Come in to my side."

I followed her and walked into a different world. There was a television, a bookcase stuffed with paperbacks, scented candles glowing, paintbrushes and tubes of every color. Finished canvases leaned on a wall and a huge bold statement hung over the bed, a cluster of white flowers emerging from big deep green leaves. I gasped at the painting and smiled at her talent when I flipped through the others, finding many familiar scenes from the resort, rich with local vegetation.

"Take any one you want. You're going to clean the loo right?"

I nodded quickly and continued browsing, knowing I was getting the better end of the deal.

There was one of two white seahorses, delicate and almost see-through with black spot markings on their heads and chests. They were slightly sparkly and their tails entwined them together gently, giving me a feeling of monogamy, security and love. The bigger one's tail curled around a piece of coral to secure them. The seahorses and the clump of stark white coral branches were the only things in focus. The background was suggestive of something highly colorful but its clarity wasn't necessary. The beauty of the pair was the triumph in this piece of art.

"Take it."

"Are you sure?"

"It's fine. I wanted to do something big with a seahorse for a while. I might be able to sell these, put some money in the bank."

"I don't know what to say." I was still admiring it.

"I can paint another one," she offered sincerely.

"Well, thank you. Hey, Edward told me to bring you over for a drink later. Do you want to go?"

She narrowed her eyes. "No, he knows I won't go over there. He's playing a bloody game with me. I don't set foot in that caravan. I want nothing to do with what goes on in there."

"What does go on in there? Is Rosalie in danger?"

"Not from Emmett. He's a good bloke. I've never understood their friendship really. Rose is safe because she's with Emmett and because she can keep her trap shut about the drugs and the sex. Edward's… just take my word for it. You can still be friendly but do not get involved with him. Oh, and he does not fraternize with us staff on Friday nights."

I frowned at how much she said but how little it revealed and I looked around this pretty room, deciding her simple advice was probably very wise. I wondered if there was history between them.

"Um, do you mind if I use our beautiful clean bathroom now? I'm starting early tomorrow."

I apologized for lingering and thanked her again when she handed me my canvas to take back. I propped it up on the bed against the wall, seeing where it would live, enjoying this small pleasure.

A short while later, there was a knock on my door and a very excited Rosalie announced that she'd made her decision to get out of Slink and move into the caravan, inviting me to her welcome party tonight. I faked a yawn, telling her I was tired, and feeling bad about it.

I heard our shower start and I said I was sorry but I really had to go to bed. Disappointed, she gave up and left, and I watched her until she pulled open the screen door and climbed up into the caravan, turning to give me a small wave. It felt like she had abandoned me. She knew we could have shared this room but she chose him.

I leaned back on the door for a minute and then there was another knock, startling me. When I opened it, Edward poked his face in, too close to mine.

"You're not coming?"

I shook my head, stepping back, and answered, "Too tired."

He slid in uninvited, closing the door behind him and looked around, nodding towards the sound of the shower. "Is that Tanya?" He turned the doorknob, finding it locked. "That's one of hers?" He pointed to the painting and studied it, a smile forming on his face. "She's brilliant."

Just his presence in my room made my pulse rate shoot up. "Jesus, when you said you had no creature comforts, you meant it." When I didn't respond, he sat on the bed and looked at the painting, running his hand over the fresh sheets. "Do you want me to hang that for you?"

"I'll do it."

"Come over for a drink, Isabella."

I shook my head again and corrected him. "It's just Bella."

"Just Bella… kay," he said rising, and walked out, leaving the door open, so I saw people had arrived now, standing around on the grass with drinks.

I lay in my bed listening to the growing laughter and music, thinking I could ask Edward to get me some earplugs on his next supplies run.

…

Rosalie, Emmett and I trekked to the end of the beach path and spotted a small group of staff. Very few guests came to this remote side of the island so we had it to ourselves. As we got closer, I couldn't help giggling as their heads popped up like the meerkats from Animal Planet.

Edward was sitting up at one end, running his hands through his wet hair, an empty towel next to him. We dropped our stuff down at the other end of the group and I looked out at the glistening ocean, seeing someone swimming alone.

Emmett introduced me to everyone, some of whom I'd met before, but never like this. I averted my eyes nervously because there was not a tan line in sight - everyone was naked - and I had never been nude in public.

Emmett stripped off and Rosalie untied her sarong, showing she had nothing on underneath. She must have seen the look on my face because she said quietly, "It's okay, Bella. Wear the bikini if you want to. Nobody here cares."

I decided to keep it on. Getting my ass burned on my first day in the sun sounded like stupidity. I felt all eyes on me when I pulled my sundress over my head, and I lay down on my stomach, pulling out my book. A tiny breeze made this beautiful day perfect. It flicked at my hair, tickling my back.

Suddenly I heard Edward's voice. "Did you know Bella came to my bar for the first time last night?"

As I turned to him, they all looked at me as if there was something seriously wrong with me.

My shoulders rose as I tried to defend myself. "I don't want to spend any money! I'm trying to save to go to Europe!"

Garrett piped up. "Oh, so you're one of those."

My eyes landed back on Edward, spreading the towel out next to him and looking at the water.

"One of those what, Garrett?"

He answered in a whiny voice, "Can I borrow a piece of gum, a cigarette, expecting everyone else to pay?"

"Nooooo!" I sang back indignantly.

"Oh, leave her alone, guys!" Rosalie chastised.

I saw who Edward was looking at. She was pretty and curvy. She walked up to him dripping wet like a Bond girl from the ocean, only she was naked. Rosalie introduced her as Bree and she lay down on her back next to him and sighed happily. He turned to face her, propped up on an elbow, and they smiled at each other, sharing a private conversation.

She raised her hand to play in his hair and he slowly ran his hand down her arm, ending up on her boob, pressing his thumb into her nipple. She pulled him down to kiss him and I saw their tongues connect. She grabbed a big clump of his hair as he squeezed her boob harder.

I dragged my eyes away, embarrassed by the pulse between my legs, looking back when they started to chuckle. She leaned over, picked up her sarong and handed it to him, the same sarong I'd seen draped around his hips through the caravan screen door. He plopped it down in his lap, probably covering an erection, and he looked up and smiled at me.

I felt like the biggest pervert, but I couldn't stop looking at them. She stood up, holding her hand out to him and I heard him say, "No man can resist the way you do that. You're perfect."

He clutched the sarong to him as he stood and turned away before wrapping his towel around his hips. They picked up their stuff and waved goodbye. She was still naked as they walked off and I watched him cover her shoulders with the sarong and lean down tenderly to speak to her. As she nodded her head, I wanted to be her. I wanted him to talk to me just like that and then do to me whatever he was about to do to her. They literally disappeared into the vegetation along the beach and we didn't see them again.

Even though Emmett was technically Edward's boss, it was obvious that Edward was the leader and it felt freer after he left. I could relax and enjoy the sun without trying not to ogle him. We all floated and laughed in an ocean without waves and I started to feel comfortable with these people on this glorious afternoon.

The boys began throwing a tennis ball and fighting for it, so Rosalie and I got out to dry off. She kneeled next to me with her towel around her and I heard her take a big breath before she started to talk.

"Bella, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but I saw you watching Edward and Bree. Please tell me you're not crushing on Edward because he's not boyfriend material, honey."

I felt so embarrassed that it was obvious to her, and probably everyone else had seen me watching him with a look of longing on my face.

"I know. Tanya told me to stay away from him."

She angled her head and looked curious. "I've never seen you like this."

"Don't worry; I need to ask him to buy me some earplugs anyway. I'll see if he can bring back a rabbit and big box of batteries."

She broke up and fell over, her laughter making me crack up too.

…

Two nights later, Edward knocked on my door not long after I came home.

"Join me for a drink. I'm buying." It sounded like a command.

"No, I'm just going to read."

"Come down… please? I'm going crazy listening to the Three Musketeers down there. I want someone to talk to and no one's around."

"Uh… no… it's not a good idea."

"Says who?"

"Me."

He shook his head slowly and said, "Thanks." He had to sprint back and I watched him, feeling like a total bitch.

I had a shower. I dried my hair slowly, even straightening it. I sat on the bed and looked at the detail of the painting, now hung courtesy of two thumbtacks, a nail, some string and a borrowed hammer from one of the maintenance men. I tried to read – the same paragraph – over and over. I warred with myself, thinking about what Tanya had said, "You can still be friendly."

I gave in.

I swapped my robe for jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt. I wore no make up or perfume so there would be no mistaking my intentions. I'd keep him company, accept his offer of a drink and then go back. I locked my door and after a couple of fortifying breaths, I walked to the staff bar.

I nearly stumbled when I saw the smile on his face, his real smile, not the smug one or his sexy smirk. It made him look even more breathtakingly handsome when it lingered as he brought his stool round for me to sit on.

"Thank you." He grinned and gave me a peck on the cheek. I tried to hide the rush of adrenaline with a tiny smile.

"I got thirsty."

He smiled and leaned forward in his signature stance. "Whatever you want, Bella, it's yours."

I sat back on the stool and thought about it. "Tell me something about Edward. Do you have family?"

"Father and sister."

_Oh, something happened to his mother. I might leave that for another time._

"You?"

"Just parents, no siblings."

He stood, looking relieved. "Well I'm glad we got that out of the way. Now that we're friends, what can I get you to drink?"

I gave up on any more personal questions. "I don't know - surprise me." I beckoned him over with a finger. He leaned towards me and I whispered, "No rum."

He glanced at the three regulars who were staring into space. "I already picked that." He stood back and looked me over, as if the way I looked gave him inspiration.

"Hmm, I know you like strawberries because you smell like them and I know you have lemon in your tea."

"How do you know about the lemon?" _How did he know? The coffee and tea were at the far end of the room._

He turned sideways, surveying his ingredients. "I have eyes. Now we need something to sweeten it up, to balance the flavor. Hmm. Oh, I know, I've got it!"

He dropped two strawberries into a tiny blender, blitzing for a couple of seconds. He sliced a third to create a garnish and popped the rest of it into his mouth, raising his eyebrows and smiling when he swallowed. He deftly sliced a lemon in half and squeezed it into a metal shaker, straining it through his fingers to catch any seeds. Some measures of syrup and two other things I couldn't make out joined the lemon.

He tipped in the strawberries, added ice and then shook it all together theatrically, placed a rocks glass in front of me and slid the sliced strawberry onto the lip before filling the glass with a deep red concoction. He immediately poured the rest of it back into the blender and then slid two short black straws into the glass and held his hands palms up. "Try it."

I took a sip. My mouth washed with a fresh taste; sweet and tangy with an underlying charge that he was going to have to explain. "What's the alcohol?"

"Gin and port."

"It's really delicious." I sucked on the straws again and it went down like cold liquid candy. Maybe I'd finally found my poison.

Edward tipped out the ice, quickly rinsed everything and placed them upturned on a fresh bar runner. He leaned forward and watched me drink, making me feel self-conscious.

"So, Edward, where did you go to college?"

"I didn't go."

"How come?"

"Money issues."

I felt my shoulders slump. "Oh, that kills me. You're really smart."

"Never mind. How about you?"

"Yeah, Seattle, English major. I want a job on a newspaper in London. I want that experience."

He continued to watch me talk, looking very cute as his eyes reacted to my expressions.

"I think you'll do it. You remind me a lot of myself. You have goals and you'll do whatever it takes to reach them. Going without a glass of Coke for over two weeks shows willpower."

He was super funny. I drank some more and realized I'd drained my glass. He immediately grabbed the shaker, poured ice in and the rest of the drink. He shook it again before draining it into my glass, repeating all his rinsing and cleaning.

"That's nice gin and port, Edward. Why are you so flirty? Doesn't Bree mind that you dally with other girls?"

"I dally do I? I'm not _with_ Bree, Bella. I'm not with anyone."

"Coulda fooled me. You two looked very… close."

"We are close."

I shook my finger at him and tried to work out what I wanted to say. "You're trying to bamboozle me with your red red drink and your cryptic words. You know some of my favorite words are used cryptically."

"Good to know." He beamed that beautiful smile right at me.

"You _should_ have gone to college." _What a waste._

"Never mind."

"Why was that again?" I couldn't remember that answer.

"Money darling."

"What's money darling?"

He started to laugh at me. Now he was being rude for no reason. It was just a question. Jeez.

"Where's my drink?"

"You finished it, see?" He held up the empty glass. I could have sworn I only had a couple of sips of the second one.

"Oops."

"I'll take you to bed."

"Uh… I think I might be a little too drunk for sex."

He surrounded my waist with his strong arm and lifted me so I could stand. "Will you guys mind the bar for a sec?"

I put my arm around his shoulder and waved goodbye to the three drunks who all looked amused. They waved back and I started to giggle. "You're funny; you just left three drunks in charge of your bar."

That was my memory of the evening. I woke up with a start and a pounding head, wearing my t-shirt, no jeans, with the key to the room next to the bed.

I had a vague recollection of some discussion about Island Night. I didn't remember the actual words though, only that it was tonight.

The worst part was I did remember mistaking his gallantry for an offer of sex and I'd pretty much agreed to it. For that reason, I didn't want to face him.

I took two Tylenols with a bottle of water that had magically appeared, and after a hot shower, I started to feel human again. Brushing my teeth twice and gargling helped. So did taking everything slow. I was just about to get dressed for work when he came to my door.

"How are you feeling?" He didn't barge in; he leaned on the doorframe looking concerned. I just nodded. I knew he wasn't asking for the specifics of my hangover.

"I didn't mean to get you drunk last night. I've never seen anyone go downhill so fast."

I had to ask the obvious question. "Um… who undressed me?"

"Do you think I took advantage of you?" His eyebrows popped up just enough to make me nervous.

Timidly, I answered, "No, I… just wondered."

With a sly smile, he went on. "You were fully clothed when I left you. Rosalie looked after you. You were out cold before she even finished her shift. She did stay with you for a while to make sure you were okay and I checked on you."

"Thank you."

"Well, I gotta go and get ready. Don't forget you agreed to stay away from Island Night tonight."

"What? No. I'm looking forward to going."

"No, no, no. You promised me." _Why was he frowning at me like that?_

"Don't be ridiculous. I _am_ going!"

He suddenly glared at me furiously. "Do what you want but don't you fucking come near me!" He stormed off into to the caravan and slammed the screen door behind him.

_Jesus? Is this what he does when he doesn't get his own way? What a prick! Well I'd show him. This was as much my island as it was his._

…

By 10:30 PM we were ready to head down to the main bar. I put another treatment in my hair to make it shiny and I went to a lot of trouble to get my eyes perfectly smoky. I wore my best dress and my highest heels, hoping he'd come up to me and beg forgiveness. Then I'd tell him not to come anywhere near me and I'd enjoy it. Fuck him.

Edward was a shower behind us because he closed the staff bar at 10:30 on Friday nights. We watched him stride into the main bar as if he owned the place in a dress shirt and dark slacks, going straight up for a beer. I saw him work the room, chatting with guests and leaving with a few of them, probably offloading some of his drugs.

He seemed to attract men down here and he spent a lot of time talking to each one before moving on. He sat with a couple of them for at least half an hour before he pointed out Bree and went over to get her. She was friendly with the men and didn't touch Edward at all. One man in particular seemed very interested and after he bought a couple of bottles of booze, she got up and left with him, their body language making their destination obvious. I couldn't believe it. Edward had just let his close friend go off with another man. He'd pimped her out even.

I was on my feet before I knew it, boiling over his disgraceful behavior. I approached him at the bar.

"Go away," he spoke in a low voice, looking around us nervously.

I screwed up my eyes and said, "Too late, Edward. I already saw you. I can't believe what you just did."

He took a couple of steps back and said quietly, "I told you not to come near me when we're down here."

I moved towards him. I wanted to make it very clear what I thought of him and I was ready for a fight. "Sorry?"

Something snapped in him and now there was only an inch between our faces when he growled, "Can't you hear? I said leave me alone!" He turned to one of the guests and shook his head, his eyes closing in frustration.

"You're an asshole," I retaliated like a mouse, having only half a voice.

"Yeah, I'm an asshole. Now fuck off!"

He rejoined the guests and said something about me because they all looked briefly and turned back. Then I saw him circle a finger around his ear, indicating I was crazy? I retreated, holding my composure, needing the safety of Rosalie and Emmett. I didn't know what had just happened, what mileage he got from humiliating me in front of them. He certainly didn't like getting caught and he acted as if he wouldn't be seen dead with me in the real world. I had no idea why.

I watched him occasionally for the next hour, talking to everyone, leaving to sell more drugs, sometimes stopping at the bar for a drink. He never glanced over at me, and after two different men propositioned me, I said I wanted to leave. Rosalie and Emmett were happy to go and we walked up the hill together.

I went to bed and cried myself to sleep for being so stupid, not listening to Tanya and Rosalie. I'd let him get under my skin.

…

On Saturday morning as I was coming out of the shower, Rosalie called and told me she was getting her period, asking me if I would stop at the caravan to get her toiletries bag and bring it down before I started my shift.

It was no problem for me. I was numb after lying awake half the night, trying to understand him. I opened the caravan door and climbed in. I didn't look towards his room. I turned right and found the bag where she said it would be. Coming out, his door was wide open and he was naked in bed, tangled up with two girls who had obviously stayed the night. They all looked like they were shattered. I rushed out of there, letting the door bang, as the emotion rushed up my throat.

How I got through that hectic morning without crying I'll never know. I kept my eyes away from the staff bar at lunch, grabbing some fruit and taking it back to my room.

I had to go over to the restaurant to collect some time sheets and I spied a golf cart holding boxes of what looked like alcohol. My curiosity got me, wondering if someone had left it there by mistake and I poked in the boxes to see what they contained. I heard his unmistakable voice behind me. "Are you looking for something in particular?" Edward was coming out of one of the suites with another two bottles.

"Are you stealing alcohol from the rooms now?" My God, he flaunted every rule in the place. I realized I didn't know him at all.

"Only the checkouts; I'm just cleaning up." He didn't look at me. He just placed the bottles in the box.

"Is this your job on Saturdays?"

He looked up with an expression that told me again to go away. "I don't work on Saturday, Bella."

I turned and headed for the kitchen. He was unbelievable. He was selling drugs, acting as a pimp for members of the female staff, and now thieving opened bottles of booze for who knows what purpose, probably selling them too.

The last twenty-four hours had been a revelation. Now I knew he was a petty criminal, preying on women and people with addictions. My father had brought me up to despise people like him. He had brains but he chose this lifestyle instead of doing something decent with his life and I couldn't stop thinking about what a waste it was. With his looks and charisma, he could have done anything he wanted to.

-I~N-

Two weeks passed and we continued to ignore each other. I kept my eyes trained on the ground whenever I passed by the caravan. I focused on my trip and the fact that my bank balance was starting to grow.

I made friends with a few of the housemaids but I didn't find anyone I really clicked with. Rosalie and I drifted apart when she would come over after work and I would be ready for bed. I found a swim and a short lie in the morning sun was invigorating before my shift started. I kept the bathroom spotless and borrowed books from Tanya.

She gave me another painting, a close up of the face of a huge fish, his black eye a wonderful contrast to his orange-toned flesh and the blue of the water. She had given him a smug expression and I always smiled when I looked at him. I wondered if she'd painted him that way to cheer me up even though I had never discussed Edward with anyone.

Then one night when I returned from work, there was something on the chair next to my door covered in a towel. It was a television. When I lifted it up, there was a tiny plastic bag containing yellow safety earplugs. Rosalie insisted she had nothing to do with it but she was the one I mentioned the earplugs to. Edward was the person I had the conversation with about the lack of creature comforts.

It took me two days to summon the courage to ask him. He was cleaning the bar with his back to me when I approached.

He was surprised when he saw me. "Coke in a big glass, no ice?"

"Yes please."

He produced it quickly, popping a long straw in this time and once again, my craving was sated. Seeing his face up close was overwhelming.

"Did you give me the television?"

"Yeah, it was Bree's. She left a couple of days ago." He said it matter-of-factly as he cleaned some invisible spill from his bar.

"Well I don't want it."

He stopped cleaning but didn't look up. "Give it to someone else then, or sell it." Then he continued polishing the stainless steel counter.

"And the earplugs?"

His eyes shot up, softened. "Rosalie might have mentioned you needed them."

_Thank God, she didn't mention the rabbit._

"Thank you for those."

He started polishing again and then rinsed the cloth, wringing it out with his hands. He finally stood and faced me. "Thank you for not saying anything to management about me."

"It never entered my mind."

His shoulders dropped as if he'd finally given in to something. "Bella, I'm sorry. I want to explain."

It killed me to see those beautiful green eyes, when I knew what was behind them. "How could you possibly explain?"

"Come back when I finish my shift and let me try." He turned his head slightly as if the gesture would convince me to say yes.

Looking into his eyes, begging me to see he was genuine, I caved. I agreed to come back at eleven.

He locked up and we walked out on to the golf course in the moonlight. We climbed the hill to the top and sat on the grass overlooking the greens and the small stretch of ocean that divided us from the mountains of the mainland. It was stunningly beautiful and I wondered why I'd never been here, even during the day.

"When I first started in the main bar, the 'Nocturnal Barman's Club' used to meet up here. All those people have left now."

"Was it fun?"

"It was. A couple of them had guitars and bucket loads of talent. We came up here so no one would complain about the noise while we got pissed."

I just kept quiet and looked at the moonlit beauty around me.

"Look, Bella, I don't want this life I'm in, but I don't have a choice."

"Everyone has choices, Edward." _Who was he kidding?_

He sighed before he went on. "I have this huge debt hanging over me. It's eighty grand and believe me that's the tip of the iceberg."

The shock of those figures really made me think. I looked over at him with his elbows resting on his knees and he looked beaten. I had to fight the urge to put my arm around him.

"With my shitty education and minimum wage jobs I fell into dealing drugs quickly. I've been doing that since I was seventeen and it is pretty lucrative."

It was a tragedy. "God, Edward, seventeen."

"Yeah well, you do what you gotta do. The thing with the girls just kinda happened. I used to talk to these guys at the bar. Most of them had girlfriends or wives back home and they seemed to want the same thing – a nice girl who didn't go on about her own crap - mainly someone who would say yes. They were all decent men who just needed to feel wanted for one night."

He looked at me for a minute and watched how I took this in. I think he knew he could trust me.

"It was Tanya who was the catalyst for what happened. Her gardener friend had left and she was lonely. She turned up at Island Night ready for action and ended up sleeping with one of the guests.

"The next morning she was crying on the phone from his room. I found her sitting on the bed, pointing to what he'd left her without even saying goodbye. It was five-hundred bucks. She wouldn't touch it. She said she wasn't a hooker. I took it without a beat."

I had to hold back a chuckle. I could imagine him scooping up the money without even thinking.

"It gave me an idea to set these guys up with what they wanted. I told them I knew which girls were up for it, that they'd do anything within reason for money. I upped the ante, saying they usually got a grand to stay overnight and it was amazing how many hit the ATM without hesitation. I charged them extra for dope and cocaine and told them to buy a couple of bottles of the expensive stuff to get the girls going."

"Didn't you worry about them getting hurt? That would have been the first thing I thought of."

"I always chose the guys who said they'd never done this before, the ones who were hesitant at first. I figured if they had good jobs, long term girlfriends and wives, they were a safe bet."

"Edward, while I in no way condone any of this, that's not the part that upset me. It was seeing you set Bree up and send her off to who knows what. Didn't you have any feelings for her? You certainly looked like you did."

"I trained Bree, like I trained all the others. I showed them how to make a man feel special and make his little dream come true. We're not talking kinky stuff. These guys just want someone who'll get naked with them and let them have some fun. Most times, it's just one fuck and they always used condoms provided by moi. The girls know they can call me anytime and I'll rescue them but it hasn't happened yet and there haven't been any complaints. Seriously, I've done so much research that I'm confident I can pick the right customers. I'm very good at reading people now."

"Were you training those two girls in the caravan? I saw you in bed with them."

"I know. I saw you too. No, they were for me. I was pent up that night after what happened. I told you not to come near me and you just went ahead and did it anyway! I only had Bree available so the sharks were circling and your vicinity to me put you in danger. I'm sorry but I'm not good when I'm backed into a corner, Bella. I had to tell them you were a nut case because, shit, you looked so gorgeous that they all asked about you. I had to protect you."

"Did you ever think I would be one of your girls? You certainly gave me the creeps when I first came here."

"Yes." He nodded his head and started to chuckle. "You were talking about going without Coke and I was thinking how much money you could make. I could get you a gig every Island Night if you wanted it. I know I could ask two grand for you and get it. Hell, I'd pay it. You'd be outta here in ten weeks."

_He might be bright but his math was not great._ "Ten weeks?"

"I take half."

"Half? Jesus, you're not the one on your back!"

"Doesn't happen without me."

"What's the eighty-grand debt, Edward?"

"I'm not talking about that."

_Somehow, I was going to make him tell me one day._

"Why didn't you proposition me?"

He studied me for a minute before answering.

"I don't want you mixed up in this. Anyway I'm damn sure you'd say no."

"You got that right."

He stood up to leave and sighed. "You are so much like me you know. I really like you. Come on, let's go." He held his hand out to help me up and asked, "Do you still hate me?"

"I don't know. Let me think about it."

-I~N-

Gradually, I warmed to him. He'd race up and ask me to come down for a drink and when I'd say no, he'd be back with a glass for me and leave it. I guess you could say he wore me down by being nice.

One day he came to the office and asked if he could place an order on one of our computers. At first, I wasn't sure what sort of order he was talking about and told him I'd get into trouble. He laughed at me thinking he could buy cocaine over the web, telling me he was only stocking the bar. Then he checked his email and fist pumped. When I asked him what had happened, he said his kid sister had started high school. She was twelve, ten years younger than he was. He floored me. Only twenty-two, he was just a year older than I was. He seemed so much older.

He taught me how to handle myself on Island Night, what to say to put the men off, and I never went near him. He sold his drugs and he had two new girls, Kate and Jane, to look after the guests. Some nights he asked me to join him after work to talk and others he'd be with one of them or both for all I knew. We never discussed what they did together.

When we were alone, we talked about everything – places, ideas, and plans.

He'd given up on the idea of college but he wanted his own business one day, maybe even his own bar. I told him he'd be wonderful.

I joined him at parties in the caravan and it was exactly as I thought. People drank to excess and smoked themselves stupid. There was always a lot of clowning around and no one ever cared if you broke something, took your clothes off or sang loudly out of key at three in the morning.

There were themed parties at the staff bar occasionally where people drank too much, danced and hooked up. The strangest pairings came out of these nights. People who secretly had the hots for each other but never acted on it were so cute and so embarrassed the day after but in many ways, blowing off steam was necessary.

Edward asked me one night to pretend he didn't have all this shit in his life. I thought about it. He asked me if I would be his girlfriend if he were normal. I said yes without hesitation. He kissed me. His tongue kissed mine. We fooled around a little. We talked about our future. He was from Chicago and I was from Seattle. I wanted to work in London and maybe stay there. He still had the debt he wouldn't discuss. I wanted love and a husband and children. We knew it wouldn't work.

He asked me to leave the island with him, to share a day of freedom together, to pretend it could work. When I switched my days and said yes, he hugged me and kissed me so passionately I thought I would die. I don't know what he did with the painful erection he had, but I made my mind up that I was buying that rabbit on the mainland before we came back.

We checked our orders for our supply run. If Edward was buying drugs, he didn't mention it. We never talked about that side of his life. When we were together, we were just Bella and Edward and we could dream of being anything we wanted.

We drove up the coast in a car he always borrowed from a man he supplied drugs to. We sang to the radio and laughed at the feeling of freedom, of normality. It took us an hour and a half to overflow a shopping cart with everything on the list. We packed the bags into the trunk and drove into the city, looking forward to a lunch where you didn't have to rush off back to work.

I knew I was falling in love with him, enjoying one of the happiest days of my life when he saw the man across the street, the one who ruined everything by putting me in danger.

-I~N-

Seeing Edward pull that trigger was one thing. Seeing the look on his face when I begged him to tell me it was only a game was another.

"I have to know, who is this guy to you? Is he someone you buy drugs from?"

Edward almost spat out. "Are you kidding me? I couldn't trust _him_! No he thinks he can muscle in and take a cut of the action on the island."

"The action?"

"Yeah, he contacted me, saying he wanted a girl for a wealthy customer. I told him straight up that we don't do things that way and that I'd have to meet the guy first, so he arranged it for a Friday night. They came down to the island together and the guy was so fat and disgusting that I said no."

The thought of having sex with a fat disgusting man made me shudder.

"He tried to tell me that wasn't an option, that he'd already told the customer that it was a done deal. I told him that wasn't my problem and walked away. I had other customers. Then the fucker finds me and offers me double, so I put it to Gemma."

He started to chuckle and then spoke through his laughter, glancing over. "She took one look at him and said, 'Triple.' I guess you had to be there but it was so funny when she said it. I had to keep a straight face when I took back the offer and I thought that would be the end of it."

Then the laughter ceased and a frown replaced it. "I should have just stuck with my original no. They called our bluff and coughed up the money so she had to go with him."

"So why is he still threatening you?"

He shook his head slightly and answered, "He must have stewed over the extra money because he called me and said I should offer to pay half. I told him to fuck off, that a deal was a deal. I've been on my own for a long time and I don't know what the rules are so I make up my own. He thinks he can push me around because I'm young, and that's one of the reasons I pulled that trigger. I had to let him know I'm willing to protect what I have."

"So there _were_ bullets in the gun."

He took his eyes off the road and looked at me for the longest moment. "Bella, you have to forget this. I can deal with it."

I was reeling from the answer in his look. What he was capable of when cornered, scared me. We hardly spoke again on the drive back to this island.

Quietly, we sorted the supplies in the caravan and people stopped by to take delivery.

We walked over to my room to relax and Edward lay down on the bed with his arm over his eyes. I joined with him to show I still cared but when he looked at me, his eyes grew.

"Your neck."

"What?"

"It's bruised." He touched me so tenderly, moving my hair away so he could see. He looked into my eyes and then kissed the bruises, delicately, and my eyes closed from the sensation. He moved his lips along my jaw, reaching a spot below my ear, making me whimper. Then he dropped his forehead to my shoulder in pain. "We can't go to the mainland together again."

I lifted his head, pushing his hair back and kissed his cheek. "We'll stay here."

He shook his head and I saw his emotion building. "I put you in danger today. I'm so sorry." He kissed my lips.

"No, you protected me." I kissed him back with more intensity.

"I can't let anything happen to you. I… I love you." His arms surrounded me, desperately holding me close.

"I love you too." He moved to the spot below my ear and I knew I wanted to connect with him. "Touch me. Show me. Make love to me."

He did much more than that. He showed me what it felt like to be a woman in love – physically, mentally, spiritually.

-I~N-

It was dawn when the phone call came and ripped us apart. He said very little, asked a few questions and hung up. He threw on his clothes and then sat on the bed, looking serious.

"The police are on their way, Bella. Just tell everyone to get rid of their drugs and go to work as normal. I have to disappear."

"Why?" I felt like I was dreaming.

"He's paid someone off to trap me. I have to go."

"No!" I clung to him, but he leaned down and tipped my chin up to kiss me.

"Shhhh, it's going to be okay. I'm gonna finish this."

"Oh no… Edward, please don't go." I hugged him again as if it would make him stay.

"Bella, I'm no good for you. I'll just keep putting you in more danger."

I started to cry and he leaned down, kissing my tears, drinking them, and then rocked me until I calmed down.

"I really have to go. I love you."

I stood in my doorway and watched him run over to the caravan. In the quiet of the early morning, I could hear doors sliding, drawers opening and then voices. After a few minutes, he came out with Emmett and they embraced. He didn't come back over to me. He just held up his hand to say goodbye and then took off with a duffle bag over his shoulder.

-I~N-

The arrival of the police surprised no one. When I was incapable of functioning, Emmett got the word out and it went around the staff village like wildfire. By the time the cops arrived to do random searches, the whole place was clean. Everyone was very lucky, thanks to Edward's tip off.

A temporary staff barman was in place by lunchtime. I took one look at him and walked out. I wouldn't believe this was permanent, thinking Edward would soon be back and I could feel alive again. Then Emmett showed me what Edward had left, a half-dozen envelopes labeled with names of staff he owed money to, and there was one with my name on it. I refused it, hoping he'd find out and come back to make me open it.

When Rosalie eventually forced me to look inside, I was devastated. There was two-thousand dollars in there and I remembered the off-the-cuff remark he'd made about paying to sleep with me. That's when I broke down and knew I was going to have to find a way to live without him.

I lived with the terror that something was going to happen to him. We never heard from him, never received any kind of contact, so he could have been dead within a day of leaving and we would not have known.

Time crawled by. The last three months I spent on the island were very different to the first. I went through the motions, thinking about our conversations about goals, surviving on my growing bank balance and trying to look forward to visiting all the places that Edward and I had talked of. I resisted making new friends because I couldn't bare it when people left anymore. Someone was always leaving and they always took a part of the place with them.

A dealer finally showed interest in Tanya's paintings and she sold enough to leave. The last time I heard from her, she was heading to New York. She said in a way she felt responsible for what had happened with Edward, but she also said he made his own choices.

Rosalie and I cleaned up the caravan and I moved in, sleeping alone in Edward's bed. We often had people gathering there but it was never the same as when the charismatic boy from Chicago held court. Even though he was dangerous and certainly a criminal, he was the heart and soul of the place.

* * *

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